


On the Outskirts of December

by SonjaJade



Category: Trigun
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-14
Updated: 2012-06-14
Packaged: 2017-11-07 17:53:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/433794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SonjaJade/pseuds/SonjaJade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU: After Wolfwood's death, Milly travels to December to take over the orphanage he left behind. As she endures pregnancy in the middle of nowhere, a certain priest makes his return, but he's reluctant to show his face to her, until Vash discovers him and gives him the verbal kick in the ass he needs!</p>
            </blockquote>





	On the Outskirts of December

**TITLE:** On the Outskirts of December  
 **AUTHOR:** Sonja Jade  
 **FANDOM:** Trigun  
 **CHARACTERS:** Wolfwood/Milly, Vash, Meryl, a slew of OCs (orphan children)  
 **WORD COUNT:** 7,120  
 **RATING:** M (for sexy times that aren't very graphic in description)  
 **WARNINGS:** Flashbacks to intimate relations between Wolfwood and Milly according to anime canon, frank talk about pregnancy and related things, AU.  
 **SUMMARY:** After Wolfwood's death, Milly travels to December to take over the orphanage he left behind. As she endures pregnancy in the middle of nowhere, a certain priest makes his return, but he's reluctant to show his face to her, until Vash discovers him and gives him a verbal boot in the ass.  
 **AUTHOR'S NOTES:** This is my first Trigun fic. I'd appreciate any and all feedback so I can know how best to approach future fics!

* * *

****I don't own the series Trigun, Trigun Maximum, or the characters within****

High on a ridge, outside the dusty, quiet town of December, he watched her. She wore her hair tied back now, and for good reason. The winds were never very kind here, and the whipping of her chestnut strands was likely stinging her cheery cheeks. There was a cluster of children around her, helping her to wash the laundry and hang it up on the lines in the makeshift 'courtyard', and once all the laundry was done, a few of the older kids hefted the tub and lugged it to the small garden she'd started when she moved here. Seated on a low stool, her swollen belly was very pronounced, and he watched as she caressed the baby bump with slow hands and a sad smile.

He sighed, and lit a cigarette. It was a miracle he was alive. It was a miracle Vash had come in just before all of his blood had pooled on the floor of the church that day… Vash had drug him to a doctor, drug him unconscious up rickety stairs and into a dark and hidden room where every cent Vash had on him went toward sealing the wound in his abdomen. When he woke up, he'd told him to tell Milly he died… just in case the Gung-Ho Guns decided to drag her into this mess somehow. Now, as he watched her talking to the baby in her stomach, _his baby_ , he wondered if that was a good idea.

"I knew she'd be a good mother," he said, whether it was to himself or to God or to no one was wind's guess. "Jesus, Milly. You have no idea how much I miss you." She struggled to her feet, dusted off her hands, and then called out for everyone to get washed up for dinner, and two dozen or so smiling faces came running into the orphanage, squealing and laughing like they were all one happy family.

Nicholas rose and adjusted his pack. The priest set off walking toward the cave he'd been squatting in ever since he'd heard of Milly's arrival at the orphanage. It was still too soon to come out of hiding yet, he felt. Despite Knives being securely in Vash's custody, he just didn't want to chance hurting her, hurting the children, or hurting his flesh and blood child. Without his famous weapon, he couldn't protect them, and knowing how the Gung-Ho Guns operated, it was likely he couldn't protect them even with the cross-shaped firearm.

That night he prayed for the safety of the family he wanted to return to. He prayed for a safe and healthy pregnancy for his woman, for a happy life for her and the orphans in the place he once called home, and prayed that one day he might be able to rejoin them all.

* * *

"Alright now everyone!" Milly's voice rang out through the large dining room. "Tonight after dinner we're going to write to our pen-pals. Then those who want to, we're going to sing some songs, and then it's story time as we all get ready for bed." They all nodded with happy faces and dug into their dinner, which wasn't more than some simple stew and some fresh bread. There was laughter and joking, and as Milly looked around the room, she saw again what drew Nicholas to come here and start this place. These beautiful children that no one wanted, that had been beaten and cursed by their birth parents, had found a home in the windy mesa with a man who could do nothing but promise them they'd never be mistreated, lonely, or frightened ever again.

When she'd first shown up, they were wary of her, naturally. Milly Thompson was a huge girl, over six feet tall, and somewhat intimidating to a four foot child. But when she explained she was Mr. Wolfwood's very close friend, and that she was carrying his baby, and that she was going to be taking his place while he was out looking for more children, they accepted her graciously. She didn't have the heart to them he'd died. And sometimes when the little ones would ask when he was coming back, she'd have to excuse herself to her bedroom and succumb to her tears. But over time, she learned to accept his loss and move on, knowing that she was right where he would want her to be, doing what he would be doing, and right alongside her, had he lived.

Because she was still so far from home, she still wrote home to every one of her brothers and sisters. Because there was so many of her siblings and so many orphans, she assigned two children to a relative, and they all wrote a little bit of the Milly Monthly, as well as shared their own stories and tales. The children were overjoyed to talk to someone other than each other and the somewhat standoffish townsfolk, and their faces lit up like New Year when they got mail in return. She tried very hard to teach them life skills as well as scholastics, and she always told every one of them they were loved before kissing their foreheads goodnight. Even if she hadn't birthed them, Milly felt like they were hers, and wanted them to know that she would always love them. She thought it was what _he_ would have done.

After story time, and after her round of goodnight kisses, she walked outside and stretched her back. The sky was already dark and full of stars. The baby was active, and she cradled her tummy. "Not much longer, baby," she cooed. Little feet kicked in response and she giggled. "I'm gonna have to send for Ma'am so she can come stay for a little while like she promised!" The plan was Meryl was supposed to come right before the baby was born, so she could fetch the doctor and then care for Milly and the children while she recovered. Eventually, she'd have to go back to the Bernardelli Insurance Company, but for a few months she could stay…

Milly missed Meryl terribly. She missed Vash too, but he had his own problems to work out with his brother, and she didn't envy his situation at the moment. She wondered briefly if he and Meryl would ever get their stubbornness out of the way and admit what they felt for each other. She thought of how wonderful it would have been if Meryl and Vash were together and if Nicholas and herself could have all been neighbors in a better place, with all the children at the orphanage, and maybe Meryl could have Mr. Vash's baby, and then both their babies could grow up to be best friends-

She looked down at her belly, tears falling helplessly onto the violet of her apron. Dreams were useless on a planet like this. She never thought she'd find love, because so many men were afraid of her stature and conviction. And when she did find it, when it culminated in the making of a child and a promise to her that if he lived he would marry her… It was all ripped away from her like wrapping paper on a crappy gift. Sighing, sniffling, she wiped at her face with the back of roughened hands and giggled sadly. "I shouldn't be sad. I'll always have a piece of your daddy in you, baby. I know he tried his best to not die. I know that he would've loved you… just as much as he loved me."

* * *

_The room was pitch dark with the exception of a sliver of a moonbeam coming through the cloudy window. They'd just finished making love and he was holding her close to his heaving chest._

" _Y'know, Milly?" he gasped. "I don't think… No, I_ know _… I know I've never been in love before."_

_The flushed young woman lying next to the panting priest had sweat trickling from her temples and looked a little awed. "Why do you say that?" she asked quietly._

_He kissed her forehead and squeezed her. "Because I've never felt like this before. I've never felt so at peace, despite the danger that still looms on the horizon. This is going to sound so cheesy, but I feel like you complete me. You fill in where I lack, you comforted me at my lowest and took me to my highest… I knew I liked you from the moment we met, but I had no idea how much I_ loved _you."_

_Milly's eyes were wide as she digested what he'd just said to her. "You.. love me?"_

" _Yes," he breathed as he nuzzled her hair. "Yes, I do." He felt her cheek heat against the plane of his pectoral, and he chuckled as he reached for his cigarettes. "Is it so hard to imagine someone loving a person who is genuine and kind and untainted by the evil that runs rampant in this world?" He lit up and blew the smoke away from her. "Honey… I couldn't have allowed myself to bring you to my bed if I didn't love you. I couldn't have just used you and been off in the morning… This meant so much to me."_

_Milly's arm slid from his chest to around his waist and her leg laid over his. They laid like that for a long time, just listening to the insects and the wind and the inn settling on its foundation. After he stubbed his smoke out, she whispered shakily, "I love you, too, Mr. Priest."_

_Wolfwood laughed as he rolled on top of her. "You know my name, why don't you scream it…" he said darkly before attacking that sweet spot behind her ear._

" _Mr. Wolfwood!" she squeaked as she swatted his arm, and then she closed her eyes and threw her head back as he entered her again._

" _Call me Nicholas, honey… Only you get to call me that." He thrust deep inside her, smiling as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and offered him a hushed moan. He reached down and pulled her leg over his hip and groaned as her other leg followed suit and she locked her ankles at his back. He was in so deep now, so fast and deep… 'God, please don't let morning come,' he prayed. 'I'll give up smoking_ and _drinking, just don't let this night ever end.' He palmed one of her breasts, then lightly pinched at her rosy nipple, and she clenched around him, quietly calling his_ name _._

_He spilled inside her again, certain that she knew at least how babies were made. She made no protest when he did it the first time, and when he heard her muttering 'Yes, yes, yes…' under her breath, he was sure she wanted him to do it. He rolled off of her once more, onto his side this time and pulled her back to his chest. His arm laid over her curving hip and occasionally his hand slid to cover her belly. She drifted in and out of sleep, her head pillowed on his arm, and he leaned over and whispered softly in her ear, "Marry me, Milly."_

_She gave a contented sigh, "Okay…"_

" _Milly Wolfwood. That's got a nice ring to it," he said, already gently rolling to his back so he could get up and go to the bathroom. He listened as she gave a half asleep grunt of agreement, and when he stood and slid into his pants, he saw she was asleep for good this time. Lighting a cigarette, he thought to himself, 'What have I done to this poor girl…'_

* * *

He opened his eyes, wishing he'd woken up in that room all those months ago instead of in this shit hole cave he was camping out in. He'd have given anything to have Milly wrapped around him again. He was dangerously close to throwing caution to the wind and going down there and making her the happiest woman on this awful planet. It was all a matter of safety, and though he was miserable, and knew she probably was too deep down inside, he just couldn't bring whatever trouble might've followed him down to her like that. He cracked open a can of beans bought long ago in a town far from December and ate them cold from the can. Then he packed up and made for his perch on the ridge, overlooking a certain orphanage he longed to visit.

As usual, he was just close enough that he could make out her face, lying on his belly with his shades pulled down and a semi automatic pistol resting in his hand under his chin. He watched as Milly led the children outside for calisthenics, then set different groups off to do different chores. His brow furrowed when she put a hand quick to her belly and she winced… And then as suddenly as she'd done it, she was back to normal. He frowned. "Baby's coming soon…" She needed to be resting up, not tending to children like that. She needed him. And he wanted to go…

"What the hell're ya doin up here?" came a familiar voice.

He turned and saw the one and only Vash the Stampede, in all his crimson glory. "I could ask you the same," Wolfwood answered as he stood and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "How the hell are ya, Vash?"

"Same as always. On the run and dragging trouble wherever I go," he grinned. "I was bringing a present to Big Girl down there."

A small boy was hiding behind Vash's legs, peeking around the red coat at the strange man in the dark suit. "Well, hello there!" Wolfwood said cheerfully. "I'm sure you'll fit in just fine with the others. They're really good people down there. Especially my…" He stopped. "Especially the young mother down there. She's very good to the children in the orphanage. I should know, I watch her everyday."

Vash eyed his old friend. "It's time to see her y'know."

"You might drag trouble with you nonchalantly but I refuse to bring it to her." He turned back to the scene below. "I would sooner die for real than endanger her."

"What are you hiding from, Wolfwood? The Gung-Ho Guns are all gone."

"The Gung-Ho Guns won't ever die out completely." He snapped. "There might not be any right now, but as soon as more get trained and groomed, you and I are gonna top their list. And I know if I go back, wherever I am, there'll be her, and our baby."

Vash only looked at him, then a huge smile spread across his face. "Fine! Then I'll settle in with ya and help protect the whole orphanage!" Wolfwood blanched and the Stampede threw a friendly arm around his neck. "Think about it! You'll be able to marry Milly like you said you were gonna, you'll be able to be a father to your kid, and you can help her take care of all the other children! And since I'll be there, no Gung-Ho Guns will stand a chance against both of us!"

The priest closed his eyes in frustration. "But Vash, you're not the settling down kinda guy. You'll just get that vagabond itch and you'll up and go. And then that leaves me with the problem I had before you scared the shit out of me five minutes ago."

Vash looked him in the eye, pulling his golden glasses down the bridge of his nose in order to let Wolfwood see his eyes. "I never had a place I could settle down in before. I always wanted a place to call home…"

"But what about Knives?"

"Don't let that worry you," the outlaw said, his voice tightening up. "Stupid bastard managed to off himself."

"What?"

"Somehow he escaped from the cell I had him in. I'll never know how he did it, there was no way-" He stopped, closed his eyes, then continued. "He ran out of the holding facility and jumped head first into a turbine fan that was going at over 1600 RPMs. There was nothing left of him, just blood and mush."

Nicholas frowned. "Holy shit."

For a moment, the two of them and the orphan boy stood in silence. Vash turned back toward the orphanage below and watched as Milly grabbed her belly again, making a grimace. "Looks like the baby's coming very soon."

Wolfwood nodded. "She's been having pains all morning."

"Then you have no choice, I'm not going to let you sit up here any longer. We're going down there."

"But-"

"No buts, Priest," Vash cut him off with a sharp finality. "You didn't hear how she cried when I told her you were gone," he said remembering that morning so long ago. "She sobbed so hard… I thought eventually she would cry herself out and go to sleep, but she didn't. I never heard anyone cry as hard and as long as she did. It took Meryl spiking her tea to get her to sleep." He gave his friend a dominant gaze. "She's your woman, Wolfwood. And your child is coming any day now. She deserves to know you're alive and to have you with her when the baby is born. It's time for you both to end your suffering."

Nicholas looked down at her face, then watched as she gave a little girl a pained smile. He wanted to hold her and care for her and kiss her sweet lips until they were swollen and sore… His guts were twisted in the grip of excitement and joy… "And you promise you'll stay?"

"I swear to you that I will stay. No one will hurt anyone down there." He watched as the priest grabbed his pack and adjusted his sunglasses.

"I know a shortcut, follow me." He walked quickly away from the edge of the ridge and Vash and his little friend followed after him.

* * *

 _The sun was way too bright when it rose the next morning, and when Nicholas awoke, he knew he couldn't put off the showdown between himself and Chapel the Evergreen any longer. Today was do or die, and he was determined_ not _to choose the 'die' part of that equation. He looked over at Milly, whose pretty face was turned towards him, not facing the sun. She was still asleep, and he thought she looked like an angel. His hand drifted through her tangled locks and her blue eyes fluttered open. She gave him a sleepy smile that he knew he wanted to wake up to everyday… He grinned at her as she blinked the sleep from her eyes._

" _Good morning, honey," he croaked._

" _Good morning, darling." Her hand came to his face. "Have you been up long?"_

_He shook his head as he took her hand in his. "Listen, Milly. There's going to be some trouble today…" He hated that her expression drooped at his words, but he continued anyway. "I've got to confront a very dangerous man, and… I don't know…" He sighed and gathered her into his arms, hiding from the sun in the chestnut strands of her hair. "I want you to stay in this room. Don't come after me, don't try to help. Just stay here and wait for me. Can you do that?" She nodded and he felt her jerking with silent sobs. "When I come back, I'll take you away from all of this trouble and fighting and marry you, I promise. We'll go to the orphanage and we'll raise those kids like our own and we'll never have to be around all this violence ever again."_

_For a long time he just held her close to him, hugged her and kissed her head and told her he would do everything possible to be victorious and come back. Eventually, he rose and dressed, then crept into her room to fetch her pajamas for her. Once she was dressed in them, he pulled her close for a proper kiss, one that lingered and was memorable, and then he said, "Pray for me."_

_Milly crawled into the bed they'd shared and drew her knees up to her chin, and she began to pray, her voice shaking as she recited: "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…"_

* * *

Milly was in her bedroom, reading over the letter her mother had sent her outlining the signs of labor. " _If it's not yet time, you might have false contractions. But if you're having false ones it's time to send for your friend. Real ones are just around the corner."_

She clutched the letter to her stomach as another (false?) contraction sent her into agony. It didn't last long, but it was certainly enough to make her pull out her pen and paper and frantically scribble out a letter to Meryl. "Catherine!" she yelled. "Come here please, sweetie!"

The girl came running to her side. "Yes, Miss Milly?"

"I need a few favors, please. I need you to ask Henry to take this letter as fast as he can to the post office, send it express. There's money in the jar in the cabinet. Take $$10 out, that should be enough. Whatever is left he can buy some candy to bring back, okay?" The oldest of the orphanage girls nodded. "I need to rest for a while, so I'm putting you in charge. Make sure the dishes get washed and the floors get swept and mopped." She sat down heavily on the bed. "The baby will be coming soon. Hopefully not until Miss Meryl comes, but if it comes before, I'll need Henry to be ready to run and fetch the doctor for me. One last thing: could you please bring me a big glass of water?"

"Of course, Miss Milly. Lie down, I'll be right back!" Milly could hear Catherine's feet slapping against the floor and running to the kitchen as she laid over on her side. Moments later the girl had returned and placed a large cool glass of water on her bedside table. "I'll take care of everything, you just rest, okay?"

Milly nodded, murmuring, "Thank you so much, Catherine. You're such a wonderful young lady." The girl blushed before thanking her for the compliment, and then she lowered the shades and drew the door closed. Once alone, Milly began to pray for Meryl's swift arrival, and for the pains to stop until she got there. After a while, she fell into a light and fitful sleep.

* * *

The children were all outside when Vash, Wolfwood, and the little boy arrived. Nan, a little girl about seven years old, recognized the priest right away. "Mr. Wolfwood's home!" she cried, and all the children looked up to find him smiling widely. There was a moment where they didn't believe it was him, but when the reality set in that he was back, all of them raced toward him with arms wide open and yelling 'Welcome back!'

"Wait, wait!" he crowed as he was being mobbed by kids of all ages and sizes. "Where's Milly?"

Catherine spoke up, "She's resting. She said the baby might be coming soon." Then she kind of blushed a little. "Mr. Wolfwood? Is Miss Milly your wife?"

He smiled. "Well, not yet. I need to talk to her about that." He looked over to find the little boy peeking out from behind Vash's legs again. "That spiky haired fella is my good friend Va-" he stopped. He couldn't tell these kids this was Vash the Stampede. If someone found out… "Van. He helped me out a lot while I was gone. We got separated, and when we met up again, he brought another guest for us." He gestured to the boy. "Come on out, bud! We're all friends here, aren't we children?"

A very young boy, maybe about four years old, wandered up to the shy child. "Hello! I'm Max! What's your name?"

"B-B-Bram," he stuttered. His brown eyes were wary, but his expression was hopeful. "Bram Jinxt-t-ton."

"You wanna come play? Me and Yancy and Gill are building a fort in the courtyard if you wanna play too." Everyone watched a tiny smile grow on his face and he looked up at Vash.

"You go play, these children are your new family now. These are your brothers and sisters, they won't hurt you." Vash patted the boy's head and then he was off like a shot with Max.

"Kids, Van is going to be staying here with us, too. Make him feel welcome, alright?" There was a chorus of affirmatives and the Wolfwood stood up. "I need to talk to Miss Milly, and it might take a long time. I guess you're in charge, Catherine?"

"Yes, sir."

"Keep everyone in line for me, please. I don't know how long this is going to take." He dusted his clothes off, took a deep breath, and walked towards the large house. When he stepped inside, he was assaulted by the smell of home, and his shoulders drooped a little, letting some of the stress of the day go. He guessed Milly had taken his old bedroom, and he went that direction. He stood in front of the door for a long minute before knocking and opening it.

She was asleep, her hand pressed firmly to her belly, brows furrowed as if she were worrying, and her mouth slightly open as she snored lightly. He shut the door behind him, and came to his knees before the edge of the bed. He watched as her taut belly moved from the baby's actions within, and he felt tears running down his face. He placed his hand beside hers, and he felt the baby kicking inside.

' _God… this is…_ mychild _…"_ He closed his eyes and simply felt for a moment; felt Milly's heart beat thumping through her body, felt the subtle movement of the baby within her. _'It's a miracle. My very own miracle… I found Milly purely by accident and look at what's become of her, of_ us _. And on this dried up planet where nothing beautiful grows and a cool breeze doesn't exist… It's truly a miracle from God.'_

"Milly," he said, unable to choke out anything above a whisper. "Honey, I'm home."

* * *

_The first morning she suspected something was up had been two days after Vash returned with Knives. She'd been sick to her stomach, so exhausted and a little light headed. Meryl insisted she take the day off and rest, to just let whatever she had run its course. Milly had asked her if she would be so kind as to get her some ginger ale from the bar at the corner, she got up and wandered to the inn's hostess, a woman with four children._

" _Miss. Linda? May I ask you a question?"_

_She told her about the night she'd spent with Nicholas, that he was the only one that could even possibly put her in this position, and if it was possible that the symptoms she was having were early signs of pregnancy. The woman said that each pregnancy was different, but that she was indeed having some of the classic symptoms and that she should see a doctor to be sure. Linda had sent her back upstairs to rest and the woman sent for her friend who worked as a nurse._

" _Please don't mention anything to my companion," she said. "If it turns out I'm not, I don't want to have to explain everything to her." Linda agreed, and it wasn't long after that Meryl had returned with several bottles of the carbonated soda she'd requested._

_The nurse came in about an hour later, took her temperature, her blood pressure, asked about her symptoms and then finally asked for a urine sample. Milly could still remember the look on Meryl's face when it dawned on her what might be wrong. And then when the nurse announced that she was indeed 'in a family way', Meryl finally understood why all the tears and seemingly extreme sadness at the news of Wolfwood's death._

" _I'm so sorry, Milly," she said as she held the quietly sobbing woman._

" _No, don't be sorry!" Milly wiped her eyes with her shaking hands. "This way I'll always have a part of him. Nicholas will never truly be dead, not as long as our baby is alive."_

_That was when she decided she was going to go to December and to the orphanage he'd told her about. She wanted to be among the children who knew him and the place he called home, to be a part of that life he never got to share with her, to carry on with their plans anyway._

_She prayed a lot; sometimes selflessly, sometimes selfishly. She thought praying would always keep him close to her, because it was the last thing he'd asked her to do. Milly would concentrate everyday on the memories of his face, the sound of his voice (both his laid back voice and the husky voice he used when he loved her), the sound of his laugh and the way his clothes always smelled like smoke and gunpowder and sand. She was determined to never forget him, and determined to tell their baby all about him._

_And she never expected that any of her dreams of him coming back to her would ever come true._

* * *

When her eyes opened, she found a man who looked very much like her Nicholas on his knees and crying quietly, his hand splayed on her stomach.

"Honey… I'm home," he whispered.

This had to be a dream. Nicholas was dead and gone, up in Heaven with God and his angels and looking down on her and the baby and the other children. But as she looked a little closer, in all her dreams, he still carried the Cross Punisher, even though she knew it had been destroyed… This man in her bedroom carried nothing but a single pistol, a beat up one at that, something she wouldn't expect him to carry if he were in his dream form.

The thing that alerted her to his realness was that desert smell he always carried. Milly asked softly, "Nicholas? Is that really you?" The hand that laid over hers squeezed her gently, and his eyes met hers.

Smiling, he said, "I'm so glad you didn't call me Mr. Priest."

"Why would I call you that?" she asked dreamily, still not sure to believe what her eyes were seeing. The pain she was in made it hard to concentrate for long, and she wondered briefly if she were hallucinating.

"I don't care what you call me, Milly," he said as he moved closer to her. "I'm home now, and we can get married and raise all these kids together, just like we talked about."

"How do I know it's really you?" she asked, reaching out to hold his cheek in the palm of her hand. "Prove to me that this is really Nicholas D. Wolfwood and not some fake."

"You have a total of five brothers, six sisters, forty three cousins, twelve nephews, fourteen nieces, and all of the nephews' names start with 'S'." Her eyes widened. "Your favorite flavor of pudding is chocolate, your first pet was a lizard named Freddie, and you and Meryl made me coffee and sandwiches the night we made this baby."

"What kind of sandwiches?" she said, her eyes tearing up, already knowing this was really him.

"Deviled ham," he said as he leaned forward and kissed her. Her arm slipped around him and she tugged him as close as she could. He whispered how much he missed her, how badly he wanted to come back sooner… "But everything's gonna be alright now. I'm not ever going anywhere again, honey."

"Vash said you were dead!" Milly sobbed. "He brought me your weapon and everything!"

"I told him to tell you that. I thought I'd be dead before he got back with Knives. It's a miracle I'm still alive."

"I prayed every- AHHHHHH!" Milly sat upright and clutched her belly.

"Oh God, it's coming! Let me go get the doctor-" Her hand clamped down on his wrist, _hard._

"Henry's been waiting for this all day, send him!" she grunted. Milly began to do her counted breathing, and soon enough the contraction had passed. "Please, don't leave me, not when you just got back!"

Nicholas took his jacket off and tossed it onto the trunk at the foot of the bed, rolled his sleeves up and tugged the chair in the corner over to the bed. "Then let me send our fleet footed messenger on his way. I'll be right back, don't start without me."

* * *

He went out into the main hall, a huge room with dormitory style bunk beds and a long dining table and benches. "Henry!" he called, nearly in a panic.

Catherine came running inside, "He's not back from the post office yet. Is Miss Milly okay?"

"Dammit!" Nicholas raged, kicking one of the support beams. "I guess I'll have to get the doctor!"

Vash poked his head inside. "I'll go, you stay here. I just need someone to tell me how to get there."

"I got an idea," Catherine said as she went outside. She gathered up a four year old girl and sat her on Vash's shoulders. "Lulu? Do you remember how to get to the doctor and back?" The little red head nodded and smiled wide. "Oh good! I need you to show Mr. Van how to go to the doctor okay? And then show him how to come back!"

"Okay, Cathy!" Her little palms pressed against his temples and she turned his head toward the southeast. "Go that way, Mr. Van!"

"Yes ma'am!" he saluted, then took off running as fast as he could in the direction he'd been given.

Nicholas heard Milly wail from inside the house and he raced back inside, Catherine hot on his heels. They found her sitting up, eyes wide and feeling around the mattress. "Honey, what's wrong?" he asked her, his voice giving away his fear.

"W-w-water… broke…" She looked embarrassed, as if she'd wet the bed with a more offensive fluid. "It's everywhere…"

Wolfwood grabbed the chair and sat as close as he possibly could to her. "That's okay, we'll get the bedding all cleaned up later, it's no big deal." He turned to Catherine. "Okay… Uh.. don't we need some towels and some boiling water or something?"

She ran and fetched four big towels and brought a bowl of cool water and a wash rag. "Try to keep her calm and cool. The more relaxed she is the better for both of them it will be."

"What about the boiling water?" he asked frantically.

"It's gotta boil first, Father. It's going to be a while before the baby comes, just try to calm down." She moved quietly and confidently around the room, moving things out of the way so there was room to move and space on the dresser.

"You called him father?" Milly asked as the contraction began to pass.

"None of us called our real fathers that, and he _is_ a priest… Father Wolfwood is what we've always called him." She leaned over and gave Milly a kiss on the forehead. "Can I get you anything, Miss Milly? Some water or something to eat?"

"No, sweetheart," she said as she caught her breath. "Just go keep an eye on the others for me and show the doctor in right away." Catherine nodded and closed the door behind her.

"How is she so calm right now!" Nicholas asked, his leg bouncing uncontrollably.

"Oh, she's been writing to my sister, the midwife. Ever since we've all been together, they each write to a different one of my siblings, and Catherine chose her because she knew this might happen and she wanted to be prepared." She smiled as she rubbed her belly. "She's been raised very well by you, darling."

"And you've turned her into a bright young lady," he added, squeezing her hand. "She was such a little tomboy when I left her… I'm glad to see she's growing into her feminine side. Probably has a lot to do with seeing a strong woman like yourself do what you do everyday."

Milly laughed weakly and leaned her head back against the headboard. "Is this really happening? Did the love of my life come back from the dead and is sitting here as I labor with his child?"

"Honey, it's happening right now." He watched as she began to breathe with a purpose, going slow and steady, and then witnessed her swollen hands grip her stomach hard, but she didn't cry out. Instead she rode the wave of pain until it had passed and she relaxed once more. "I'm so sorry my selfishness that night is causing you so much pain now."

"Don't be sorry," she panted. "I wanted as much of you as I could have then, and I'll never regret this child." She laughed. "Even as much pain as I'm in, I want a dozen more, all with you."

He was so moved that leaned over and kissed her mouth, his tears running off his chin and splashing onto her shirt. When he pulled back, wiping his eyes and smiling. "You have no idea… how overjoyed I am to be here with you after all this time. And I'll give you as many babies as you want, so long as you don't forget about the ones we've already got."

"Those children have always been ours," she answered, tensing up for another contraction. "I could never forget about any of them." Together, they breathed through the pain, and when they made it through, she said, "Let's get married, right now before the baby comes."

"Huh?" Wolfwood balked, his expression confused.

"Grab the preacher in town and bring him here, we'll get married right here before the baby comes." Her eyes sparkled. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if our baby wasn't born out of wedlock? And why should we wait any longer?"

"Honey, I don't even have a ring for you." He smiled at her impetuousness.

"I don't need a ring. Let's just make it official."

"I'll have to send someone to go get him, unless you want me to go."

"Go find a volunteer, we've got fifteen of them."

"Sixteen, Vash brought us another one."

Her face lit up, "Mr. Vash is with you?"

"He's actually got Lulu steering him to the doctor because Henry's not back from the post office yet. And I told the kids his name was Van, I don't want him dragging trouble back here for us. He brought us a little boy, about six years old." He smoothed her hair out of her face as she grit her teeth against another contraction. "Shh, let's not rush everything, we can get married once you've recovered."

Her teeth clenched and her whole body seemed to draw up into a ball, and she cried out, "I thought you were dead and then you come back in here thinking we can just pick up where we left off like nothing happened!" Nicholas jumped at her venomous tone of voice.

"All I ask of you is to marry me before the baby comes, that's all I want! I'm going through the pain and the fear of birthing this child. The least you can do is make me your wife in exchange!" she wailed, squeezing his hand so hard he thought she would break it.

"Alright!" he howled in pain. "Catherine! Come here, quick!"

* * *

Later, she would look back on it and not be able to remember much of anything clearly. It was pain and strange faces and joy and more intense pain and more intense joy as she finally saw her baby's face… She clearly remembered asking her brand new husband if it was necessary to go through such agony to receive such happiness, but she couldn't remember his answer.

It didn't matter though. As she laid in bed beside her back-from-the-dead husband and their newborn son, she decided that any amount of pain was worth what she'd gained. "We should give him a name, Nicholas. We can't keep calling him sweet pea…"

Nicholas snuggled up to Milly's side and gazed down at the little boy's face. "I can't believe he's here. I can't believe I'm here." He reached over and brushed his son's cheek with his finger. "What do you think of Vinnie?"

The babe shifted in his sleep, and Milly giggled at his grumpy little expression. "He looks like a Vinnie. Even though I'm a little partial to Thomas…"

"I didn't know if you had any names picked out or not. If you want to call him Thomas, I like that name, too. So long as he's got Wolfwood on the end of it, I don't mind."

"But, we already have a Tommy, and we don't have a Vinnie… And I can hear myself yelling, 'Vinnie Wolfwood! You get in this house _this instant!_ ' in a few years." She turned her head over her shoulder and kissed Nicholas on the cheek. "I think Vinnie is a good fit."

Meryl burst in without warning, panting and gasping for air. "I came as fast as I cou-" she stopped. "Wolfwood!"

"Which one do you want, there's three of us," Nicholas quipped with a wide smile. Milly started laughing. "What's funny, Milly?"

"I was just thinking," she giggled. "This all started with some sandwiches, and now I'm sandwiched between two Wolfwood boys!" The feel of Nicholas' laughter behind her and the movement of her son in front of her caused a happy tear to slide from her eyes.

God had heard her prayers.

* * *

Vash was sitting on the porch with Lulu, listening to the musical sound of Milly's laughter and remembering the sorrowful sound of her sobs the day he told her Wolfwood was dead. He took a deep breath and smiled as the little girl showed him a paper boat she'd folded up. If Milly could laugh again after hitting rock bottom like that, then maybe there was hope for humanity after all.

Maybe he could find that kind of happiness…

With an insurance girl of his own…

"Rem, I think it's time I moved on and started that next chapter," he said to himself as he heard Meryl calling the children to supper. He nodded and stood up, ready for a meal himself. "Yeah, I think it's finally time."


End file.
